12 EPIDEMIOLOGIE 10-fache regional Unterschiede beim Vorkommen von Asthma“Hygiene Hypothese”Asthma weniger häufig bei jüngeren GeschwisternAsthma weniger häufig in Haushalten mit Hunden (Cookson, Nature, 402:1999)As Cookson so eloquently stated in one of his many articles, ""Epidemiologic studies have, in fact provided us with a great deal of important information about the etiology of asthma. To sumarize:10-fold regional differences-great increase in New Zealand in 1980sParadox: more common in Westernized envts vs. hygiene hypothesis--relates to exposure prenatally/infancyalso relating to exposureAsthma & Allergie